Senior Q&A: Moving closer to home

Wednesday

Apr 9, 2014 at 12:23 PMApr 9, 2014 at 12:23 PM

By Debbie Gitner and Linda SullivanMore Content Now

Q: My mother has had multiple hospitalizations recently. She lives out of state. Should I bring her closer to my home? I think about it often, especially as she needs more care. I work full time and have a family of my own. The thought of moving my mother, finding her an apartment or other living accommodations is overwhelming. My mother has many friends who visit and she is still going out when she feels well. When is the right time to move my mother?A: That is a good question. There is no right or wrong answer, but you need to make a list of the pros and cons of moving your mother. Some of the benefits are that you are able to oversee and manage her medical needs plus oversee services in the home. It is not an easy task to oversee the needs of your mother, and you also need to think about the effect it will have on your work and family life. The negative is, you are moving your mother out of the comfort of her home to another state. If your mother moves locally and she has friends in her current location, you need to find a place for her to live where there could be a social network for her to make new friends. You also need to include your mother in the discussion and come up with a line in the sand when it is time to make the right move. When/if you decide to move your mother, consider hiring a geriatric care manager, both in your location and in your motherís location to help you coordinate the medical piece, suggest living arrangements, assist you with finding physicians, help with insurance issues, etc.Q: I am responsible for my younger brother; I pay his bills and I am his health care proxy. My brother has been disabled for years. First, my parents provided care, and now I am in charge. When he was born, he was deprived of oxygen. He never attended public schools and never received any services in the community. My parents were embarrassed and kept my brother at home. Now that I am in charge, what can I do for my brother to get him services? My brother is collecting Social Security and he is over 65 years of age.A: Years ago, many people stayed home if they could not attend public school. There were no options, programs, support groups and resources that exist today. It is not that easy obtaining services going forward, because there needs to be documentation of your brotherís disability in order to obtain some services. Any medical records going back to your brotherís younger years have either been destroyed with the pediatrician, or testing was never done. As with all programs, there needs to be evidence of a disability. To begin, speak with an elder law attorney who is familiar with the needs of someone disabled. They can answer questions and guide you through the process and make recommendations as needed.Debbie Gitner, LCSW, C-SWCM is vice president of the New England Chapter of Geriatric Care Managers. Linda Sullivan is a nurse and care manager certified, RN, CMC. Together they are owners of ElderCare Resource Services in Massachusetts, helping families navigate resources for seniors. Contact them at 508-879-7008; toll free at 866-280-2308; fax 508-405-0963; www.eldercareresourceservices.com.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
Waynesboro Record Herald - Waynesboro, PA ~ 30 Walnut St. Waynesboro, PA 17268 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service